Cutline SummerFor your next chapter at OtagoCHEM191
Summer prep course.
Get comfortable with the chemistry underneath a calculation. CHEM191 preparation in Cutline Summer starts with formulae, moles and concentration before moving into reactions and the molecules of biology.
Included in the whole Cutline Summer programme.
Moles and concentration
How many moles of NaCl are in 250 mL of a 0.20 mol/L NaCl solution?
In the full lesson videos, your tutor explains each step out loud, so you can follow the method as well as the working.
How to prepare for CHEM191
A useful starting point is finding the step where a calculation becomes unclear. Is it the chemical equation, the mole ratio, the unit conversion or the algebra? Revising that step is more useful than collecting another formula sheet.
Make the equation mean something
Balance a reaction and explain what its coefficients tell you about amounts in moles. Work out which reactant runs out first before calculating how much product can form.
Keep quantities and units together
Practise converting mass to moles and volume to litres. Write units beside every substitution so you can spot a concentration calculation that mixes millilitres and litres.
Read a molecule before naming a reaction
Identify charges, bonds and functional groups in a structure. Use these features to explain a property, such as an interaction with water, before learning a longer mechanism.
Try the reasoning
An introductory Cutline example, not an official exam question.
Water is added to a solution without losing any dissolved solute. What happens to its concentration?
Show the explanation
The concentration decreases. The amount of solute stays the same while the solution volume increases. In concentration = amount of solute / volume of solution, the denominator has increased.
Explain which quantity changes and which stays fixed before substituting values into an equation.
What the CHEM191 Summer course will cover
Tutors will teach you how to solve realistic chemistry exam-style questions, explaining the calculations and chemical reasoning step by step.
Planned Cutline Summer modules. These describe our preparation scope, not an official university course outline or a claim that every assessment is covered.
Chemistry jumpstart
Symbols, formulae, units, equation balancing, moles, molar mass, limiting reactants, concentration, dilution and logarithms.
Practise applying it: Use a balanced equation to identify the limiting reactant and calculate the product amount.
Water, solutions and equilibrium
Hydrogen bonding, solubility, electrolytes, reaction quotients, equilibrium calculations, changing mixtures and precipitation.
Practise applying it: Compare the reaction quotient with the equilibrium constant to predict how a mixture changes.
Acids, bases and buffers
Conjugate pairs, pH, strong and weak acids, buffers, titration curves and molecular ionisation.
Practise applying it: Choose an acid-base model and calculate pH from the information in the question.
Energy and equilibrium
Heat, enthalpy, Hess’s law, entropy, Gibbs energy, temperature, reaction coupling and equilibrium constants.
Practise applying it: Use Gibbs energy to judge reaction direction under the stated conditions.
Reaction rates
Rate laws, initial rates, first-order reactions, half-life, reaction mechanisms, activation energy and temperature.
Practise applying it: Infer a rate law from experimental data and explain how temperature affects the rate.
Redox and coordination
Oxidation states, half-equations, electrochemical cells, electrode potentials, membrane potentials, metal ions and biological electron transfer.
Practise applying it: Balance a redox reaction and use electrode potentials to judge its direction.
Molecular structure
Orbitals, Lewis structures, formal charge, resonance, molecular shape, functional groups, isomers and stereochemistry.
Practise applying it: Draw a Lewis structure and justify formal charges, molecular shape or an isomer assignment.
Organic reaction mechanisms
Electron movement, nucleophiles, bases, leaving groups, substitution, elimination and addition reactions of alkenes.
Practise applying it: Follow electron movement to predict a product and justify the reaction mechanism.
Carbonyls and carbohydrates
Alcohols, amines, carbonyl reactions, imines, acetals, sugar rings, reducing sugars, glycosidic bonds and polysaccharides.
Practise applying it: Read a sugar structure and identify whether it has a reducing end.
Lipids, amino acids and proteins
Carboxylic acid derivatives, esters, lipids, amino acid charge, peptides, protein structure and protease action.
Practise applying it: Determine an amino acid’s charge at a stated pH and explain your reasoning.
Aromatic compounds and nucleic acids
Aromatic rings, heterocycles, nucleosides, nucleotides, phosphate bonds, base pairing and nucleic-acid stability.
Practise applying it: Use molecular structure to explain base pairing and the stability of a nucleic acid.
Part of Cutline Summer
One programme covering CELS191, CHEM191, PHSI191 and HUBS191. Choose Summer for the course, or Summer + Mentoring for additional support.
Short lessons, tutor walkthroughs and exam-style practice are planned for Summer. Try a beta lesson to see the approach while the full programme is being built.
- Summer
- NZ$699
- Summer + Mentoring
- NZ$1,199
- Programme access
- 16 November 2026 to 28 February 2027
Prices are in NZD and include GST. These are whole-programme plans, not separate paper purchases.
Join the free waitlistConfirm your email for Summer updates and the free student guide. No payment today.
Compare plans and enrolment datesQuestions about CHEM191 preparation
What if I have little chemistry background?
Start with formulae, balancing equations and moles. Also check Otago’s preparation guidance: it describes CHEM150, Introductory Chemistry and pathway options, each with its own eligibility. Cutline Summer is independent preparation and does not replace those university options or their practical requirements.
Is this different from the CHEM191 question bank?
Yes. Summer is preparation before the year begins. If you are already taking the paper, visit CHEM191 practice questions for the in-year practice options.
For official paper information, see Otago’s CHEM191 page and its HSFY preparation guidance.
Explore the other Summer papers
Read the HSFY summer preparation guide
Cutline is independent of the University of Otago. Summer is optional preparation, not a university paper or a requirement for admission. Summer is new, so programme outcomes are not yet measured.